What did Carrie Underwood do before she won American Idol? Who were the judges when Carrie Underwood won American Idol?

Before Carrie Underwood won American Idol, she waited tables at a pizzeria, worked at a zoo, and worked at a veterinary clinic. For two summers, she performed in Northeastern State University’s Downtown Country show in Tahlequah.

Carrie Underwood competed in several beauty pageants at the university and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004. When Underwood was on American Idol, it was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell returned as judges.

Carrie Underwood’s single “Inside Your Heaven” made her the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number-one song on the Hot 100.

Carrie Underwood’s fifth studio album, Storyteller (2015), made her the only country artist to have all first five studio albums reach either number one or two on the Billboard 200 chart.

With her sixth album, Cry Pretty (2018), Carrie Underwood became the only woman to top the Billboard 200 with four country albums and had the biggest week for any album by a woman in 2018.